JBL LSR6328P vs 708P

[EngineerNate]

I’m curious if anyone has experience with both speakers. I found a set of the 6328ps for ~$800 shipped. Are the 708s worth twice the price (used)?

Cheers,
Nathan

 

[staticV3]

We have very little data on the 6328P: https://www.spinorama.org/speakers/JBL LSR6328P/Misc/index_misc-speakerdata2034.html

Based on frequency response and directivity, the 708P is definitely not twice as good.

It might be twice as good in terms of distortion, headroom, self-noise etc, we just don't know.

 

[EngineerNate]

We have very little data on the 6328P: https://www.spinorama.org/speakers/JBL LSR6328P/Misc/index_misc-speakerdata2034.html

Based on frequency response and directivity, the 708P is definitely not twice as good.

It might be twice as good in terms of distortion, headroom, self-noise etc, we just don't know.

Is this info from the JBL tech note helpful at all?

Found here:

https://jblpro.com/en-US/site_elements/tech-note-the-new-jbl-lsr6300-series-studio-monitors

 

[EngineerNate]

@amirm would you have any interest in measuring such an old speaker design? I don't know if these early Floyd Toole LSR designs are interesting enough to overcome their being discontinued.

 

[Mr. Widget]

I’m curious if anyone has experience with both speakers. I found a set of the 6328ps for ~$800 shipped. Are the 708s worth twice the price (used)?

Cheers,
Nathan

Active speakers from JBL have a fairly high failure rate of the electronics over time and their recent history of long term support is pretty poor. The 708Ps being a current product will have replacement electronics and support for a longer period into the future.

 

[RobL]

I owned 6328P’s (plus sub) and 705P’s (not 708’s sorry). The 6328p’s were great. When I sold them, a recording studio in Toronto gave almost what I originally paid for them. They had a rudimentary room correction for bass frequencies that required buying a kit with a mic and plotting curves on graph paper if I’m remembering right. The 705 were also pretty great and actually played lower than the 6328’s on their own. Both great but $800 might be a little steep for actives as old as the 6328p.

 

[EngineerNate]

Active speakers from JBL have a fairly high failure rate of the electronics over time and their recent history of long term support is pretty poor. The 708Ps being a current product will have replacement electronics and support for a longer period into the future.

It's a bit of a 6/half dozen thing. The 6328 are all analog and class a/b. Which is likely a whole lot easier to repair than a dsp active speaker.

One of the reasons I'm a bit hesitant about the 708p is a lot of reported failures online. Couldn't find any negative comments about the 6328s.

 

[EngineerNate]

I owned 6328P’s (plus sub) and 705P’s (not 708’s sorry). The 6328p’s were great. When I sold them, a recording studio in Toronto gave almost what I originally paid for them. They had a rudimentary room correction for bass frequencies that required buying a kit with a mic and plotting curves on graph paper if I’m remembering right. The 705 were also pretty great and actually played lower than the 6328’s on their own. Both great but $800 might be a little steep for actives as old as the 6328p.

Yeah shipping was a bit harsh. In any case, I already made the purchase. Might grab a used pair of the 708s from guitar center and A/B them and send them back (easy returns) or resell the 6328s.

 

[henriquestaino]

It's a bit of a 6/half dozen thing. The 6328 are all analog and class a/b. Which is likely a whole lot easier to repair than a dsp active speaker.

One of the reasons I'm a bit hesitant about the 708p is a lot of reported failures online. Couldn't find any negative comments about the 6328s.

Isn't the high failure rate of the 7 series more confined to the first batch(es)?
I just grabbed five of them at a huge discount, and was worried about the same thing as you. So I called around ten JBL Authorized repair shops around here (Brazil), and some of them had to look up the model to know what speaker I was talking about, and the ones that knew already assured me that the failure rates for them are not higher than average. There are no memos from JBL about them, no known chronic issues, no higher influx of units than any other speaker.

I believe it took a little longer for them to get here, let alone people starting buying them, so I gess perhaps we got mostly newer batches?
It eased my mind, mostly.

 

[Tovarich007]

The LSR 6328 was a pretty good and well built speaker (the electronics were classic class A/B, could run relatively hot, but not so fragile). This model was part of a great series which was scientifically designed, topped by the 3 way passive 6332 (plus a an active 12 inch sub optionnal) which was raved after, one of the most accurate speaker along with the Genelec and Neumann of that period. The 6328 is based on the same design philosophy, but is active.
Before a 2nd -or 3rd- purchase, ask for a test and examine everything, but they're worth the value. Some maybe found at a much lesser price point than equivalent Genelecs or Neumann of this time, though JBL service isn't on the same level as Genelec service, that's for sure.

 

[Breeze98]

As a previous long-term 6328 owner, I do remember them as having some audible hiss (more than class b Genelec and Neumann actives that I've owned since, which are basically silent), although it never bothered me, I was aware of it.

A lot of second hand 6328 and 6325 have squashed tweeter domes due to lack of tweeter protection. A design omission perhaps.

I sold my 6328s to a friend who loves them!

 

[EngineerNate]

As a previous long-term 6328 owner, I do remember them as having some audible hiss (more than class b Genelec and Neumann actives that I've owned since, which are basically silent), although it never bothered me, I was aware of it.

A lot of second hand 6328 and 6325 have squashed tweeter domes due to lack of tweeter protection. A design omission perhaps.

I sold my 6328s to a friend who loves them!

Yeah the listing I purchased from had scuffs on the cabs but the tweeters looked okay. Lots were the opposite.

Fortunately those tweeters are readily available from multiple sources.

I probably paid too much but sometimes I get a kick out of buying used gear that I would have lusted after when it was new and couldn't afford at the time.

 

[EngineerNate]

 

[EngineerNate]

That Dr. Toole guy. On to something.

These sound fantastic.

I played around with positioning a bit. Tried upside down and then propping the back edge up with a little foam to tilt the tweeter axis down a smidge to better align them with my ears are the listening position. The latter was the ticket.

When I finish my subs/stands they'll be able to sit just a hair lower.